The present invention relates to frame brace rail car trucks of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,570,544; 5,243,920; 5,584,250, all assigned to the assignee of the present application, Standard Research and Design Corporation of Park Ridge, Ill. In the 544xe2x80x2 patent, the diagonal braces or struts which interconnect the side frames are held together at their intersection by a shackle 66. In the 920xe2x80x2 patent, the struts are interconnected where they cross by a clamp plate assembly consisting of two clamp plates, each with a channel, and an elastomeric pad between the facing surface of the clamp plates and the struts. There are fasteners which hold the clamp plates together. In the 250xe2x80x2 patent the clamp plates are welded to the frame brace struts and the clamp plates are welded to one another.
In the present invention there is a center clamp plate assembly and there are end blocks which are mounted in spaced relation to each other on each side frame. There are four struts, each extending between an end block and the clamp plate assembly, with each of the struts being mounted on trunnions extending outwardly from an end block and from the clamp plate assembly. This construction provides substantial economies and efficiency in the manufacture and installation of the frame brace assembly and further provides a product with substantially increased fatigue endurance.
The present invention relates to frame brace rail car trucks in which a pair of cross struts are used to stabilize the truck and improve the resistance to relative longitudinal movement between the side frames, and more particularly to such a frame brace rail car truck in which the struts are each separately connected between the center clamp assembly and an end block.
The primary purpose of the invention is to provide an improved and substantially strengthened frame brace truck.
Another purpose is to provide a frame brace truck in which each of the struts extend from an end block mounted on the side frame and a center clamp assembly and are welded to each of those elements.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a center clamp assembly including a pair of identical plates which may be cast or forged to eliminate stress concentrations found in previous center clamp assemblies.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a center clamp assembly for the use described with the center clamp plates having a reduced thickness which allows for a reduction in the vertical distance between the mounting of the center clamp assembly and the mounting point of the struts to the side frames.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a center clamp plate for the use described in which the plates have radiused flanges allowing the angle between struts to be altered which provides for increased ease in designing non AAR standard rail car trucks.
Another purpose is a frame brace truck as described in which the use of trunnions on the center clamp assembly and the end blocks allows for ease and adjustment of strut length during manufacture.
Another purpose is to provide a strut for use in a frame brace truck as described which has a constant diameter, eliminating tube plastic deformation necessary in prior art constructions.
Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.